Recording device



Jan. s, 1942.

J. o. DAVIS REooRDINe'DEvIcE Filed Deo. 6, 1939 Patented Jan. 6, i942oFFic Henry Hughes & Son, Limited,

London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application December 6,1939, Serial No. 307,898

I This invention relatesto recording apparatus "and particularly torecorders used as part of apparatus for depth measurement by the echoreception method in which `the interval between the transmission ofasignal and the reception of its echo is used to give a measure of thedepth from which the echo is received. The present invention isparticularly concerned with recorders having a marking stylus which ismade to travel round continuously in a circular path, a part of whichcrosses a record strip on which the stylus is caused to mark the instantof reception of the echo so that the distance of the mark from the zeropoint of a scale associated with the record strip is a measure of therecorded depth. The mechanism for rotating the stylus also provides forthe actuation of contacts to control the transmission of the signal atthe appropriate instant and provision is also made for driving thestylus round at dilerent predetermined constant speeds'to correspondwith different scales of depth measurement.

Allowance may have to be made, when setting up the apparatus, forsuitable corrections 'to be appliedl when changes in the stylus speedare made to ensure that the zero point of the scale of depthmeasurements is kept the same despite such speed changes, since any timelag in the apparatus and any allowance for the draft of a vessel intowhich the apparatus may be fitted is represented by a different fractionof the total scale for the different scales used.

One object of the present invention is to provide means whereby anynecessary zero correction can be applied automatically when the speed ofthe stylus is changed and a further object is to provide means wherebythe extent of the correction can be set precisely to any predeterminedamountfor each ofthe ,different stylus speeds.

It is usually convenient, in the case of echosounding apparatus, toprovide a phasing arrangement, that is to say, provision for actuationof the contacts controlling the transmission of the sound signal, andthe consequent transmission of the signal, in 'advance of the 8 claims.(C1. 177-386) it is usually convenient for the zero correction to beincorporated with the phasing adjustments instant at which the styluscoincides with thev zero point of the depth measurement scale. The Itransmission of the'signal is advanced in steps corresponding withconvenient known distances and the resulting effect is to enable thesame scale of depth to be used for different ranges of depthmeasurements by allowing for the extent by which the signal transmissionis advanced. When such phasing means are provided and, accordingly, afurther object of the invention is to provide means whereby any requiredzero correction is applied to aflocating pawl used to determine thesettings of the phasing control.

Further objects and constructional details of an embodiment of the`invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing whichillustrates one construction lof zero correcting arrangement and arotary stylus type of recorder with which the linvention isincorporated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of af construction of recorderincorporating th-e zero correcting device;

Fig. 2 is a front velevation to a larger scale of the zero correctingdevice;` I

Fig. 3 is a side View of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end View partly in section and partly broken away of theswitches and the switch-actuating cams.

The invention will be described in connection with a rotary stylus typeof recorder having provisiorrfor changing the stylus speed to correspondwith different depth scales uand with phasing means as above described.

Referring rst to Fig. l.this shows diagrammatically the parts of therecorder construction essential to an understanding of the invention andthe recorder illustrated 'includes a driving motor I governed to run atconstant speed and driving through worm gearing 2, a shaft 3 havingthereon apair of slidable gears li, 5, driven from the shaft 3 by meansof an arm 6 secured thereon and provided with a pin 'i projectingthrough the gear t. along the shaft 3 by means of an arm B which can beswung by turning movement of an operating knob 9. The gears 4 and 5 arefixed to a sleeve Il which slides on the shaft 3. The sleeve has a diskIIa on its end which defines, with the face of the gear 5, algroove forreceiving the roller I0 o n the end of thefarm 8. Rocking movement ofthe arm 8 moves these gears so that the drive from shaft 3 is eitherthrough gear 4 and a smaller gear I2 or through gear 5 and a larger gearI3. The gears I4 and form with gears 4, 5 a change speed gearing as.iswell known. Theyd'rive transmitted through the change speed gearingrotates the shaft I4 which carries on its forward end adisc` with aprojecting stylus I5 which thus moves round in a circular path andcrosses a recording The gears d, 5 are movable I2, I3 are secured onshaft strip i3 during part of its travel.

surface il. The change speed gearing enables the stylus yspeed to bechanged from one constant f speed tor another constant' rspeed 'inaccordance with different scales ofi measurement.V

The transmission of asignal, `when' the re- The record i ,stripr IE5isunwound from-a roll (not shown) f and is moved downwards 'over' the;supporting controlled by the adjustment ofy the up'1: er'sc:rewedy fstop 33 and the position in which the associated corder is usedasp'artof echo sounding apparatus f yis controlled by contacts I8 engaged bycams I8 on the tubular shaft I4 which carries the stylus. yThe contactsi'are'mounted iny a yframe Isay which is fixed to a spindle and can bemoved round relatively-to the stylus shaft I4 to adjust the making; andbreaking; of they contacts relative to the position of thestylus I5. Thespindle 23 projects through the tubular shaft I4 and carries thecontacts yI8 atitsr rear end. The

spindle. 29 is rotatable by an external knob 2|.y Y

The rotation of the knob 2i thus enables phasing yadjustmerrts to'bemade. that is to say the transmission of a signal before. ther stylusstarts to cross the record stripsor as rto allow forvthe recording f ofvgreaterv depths than ycould ordinarily be recorded during they timewhilst the stylus is ymoving across the record strip I3.

f The spindley has Secured on ,itsy front end an therefore rotatesy therphasing disc' r22 rslightly f f pin 32 is secured in the holes inthecarrier arm.

When ar change in stylus rspeed'is made byr turning the knob 9 the pin43moves across the openingAZ in the carrier 4U which is swung about itspivot 4| tor move the; spring fstrip33 yfromy through a predeterminedangle to compensate automatically for 'any change in the zero positionresulting from a change inthe speed ofthe stylus.

The new position of the pawl 24 can be con f trolled' preciselyb'y'adju'strnent 'of the lower screwed stop 33 `and the positionk of thelowery pin 32 in/ the holes 3| in the head of rthe carrier arm and thepawlcontinues rtoact asa locaterr for f the diiferent angular positionsof the phasing dial has a zero 22 so that each phasing adjustmentcorrection automaticallyy applied toit. f

The phasing dial 22 is provided with suitable indications as at -45 ytoshowy the particular range indicating plate or dial 22 provided withnotches v 23m its periphery which are engaged by a pawl f 24 rto rlocatethe spindle 20andcontacts I8 inthe proper angular positions 'to providesuitable phas-i ing adjustments. s f

The dial and pawl andritsfassociated mechanism are shown to a largerscale in Figs. Zand 3 and it will .be seen that the paw1`24 is pivotedby a screw 25 to an elongatedy carrier plate 26 which is freely pivotedco-axially with ther dial r22 and the spindle 20 and shaft I4. The pawlis pressed towards the: peripheryfofy the dial 22 by a' suitable spring21 fixed stone 'end by a screw 28 in ythe plate26 and anchored at itsother end ina rnotch' 2S at the back of the pawl.' The ifree'end of thecarrier plate 26 is formed with an arcuate head 30 provided with aplurality of sockets V3| located on a circular arc' struck from thepivotal axis of the plate 23 and these sockets 3| are adapted to receivea pair of pins 32 which limit the swinging movement of the carrier plateby strikingragainst adjustable stopslconsisting of screws 33 screwingthrough sockets 34 at the ends of a ilxed block 35 secured to some ilxedpart of the recorder as-shown in Fig. l. 'I'he screws 33 are providedwith lock nuts 36. .The pins 32 are provided lwith enlarged heads 31which engage the screwed stops 33 and the pins have screwY threads 33(Fig. 3), beneath their heads by which they are screwed into the socketholes 3|. The reduced portions of the pins 32 are long enough to extendthrough the head 30 of the carrier arm and project at the back thereofas o! 'depth measurement in use at any time.r The appropriate indicationis visible through a iwindowjor opening in they casing of the apparatus(not shown) 'and' ythe indications consequently change as the dial 22eis stepped round.

What I' claim as my invention rand desire yto 'secure by Letters Patentis:

1; In an echo-sounding i recorder, ar stylus,

` means providingy a recordingzsurface. a drive operable toetlectrelativer vcyclic movement between said' stylus and said surface,signalling rvmeans including an actuatable element, yactuatshown in Fig.3. The rearwardly projecting portions of the pins 32 can be engaged by aspring strip 39 mounted at one end in a carrier 40 capable of swingingmovement about a fixed pivot 4|. The carrier has a. hole 42 therethroughVshaped-as shown and into which projects a pin 43 on a disc/44 integralwith the knob 9 for operating the change speed `gear. In the positionshown the spring strip 33 bears at its free end against the upper-mostpin 32 and holds the latter against the upper screwed stop 33 so that ithe phasingadjustments are made by step by step movement of the dial 22to bring the successive notches 23 into engagement with the locatingpawl 24. The position of the pawl 24 is of course ying meansr operatedby said drive io actuate said element in timed relation with respect toa predetermined'point iny said cyclic movement, means operable torchange said drive from one constant speed to another constant speed,and means operatively associated with said last named means to effect atime correction relative to said predetermined point in the operatingrelation between said element and said actuating means when a change ismade in the constant rate of speed of said drive.

2. In an echo-sounding recorder, a stylus, means providing a recordingsurface, a drive operable to effect relative cyclic movement betweenvsaid stylus and said surface, signalling means including an actuatableelement, actuating means operat bysaid drive to actuate said element intim' d relation with respect to a predetermined point insaid cyclicmovement. means operable to change said drive from one constant speed toanother constant speed. means including a depth rangev indicatormanually movable to determine the timed relation between the actuationof said element and said predetermined point, and means operativelyassociated with said operable means to move said manually movable meansto make a. time correction in the actuation oi' said element relative tosaid predetermined point when a change isfmade in the speed of saiddrive.

3..In an vecho-sounding recorder. a stylus, means providing a recordingsurface, a drive operable to effect relative cyclic movement betweensa'id stylus and said surface, signalling means element in timedrelation Witlrrespect-to a predetermined point in said cyclic movement,means operable to change said drive from one constant speed to anotherconstant speed, means manually movable to advance or retard relative t0said predetermined point the operating relation between said element andsaid actuating means, means to `releasably hold said manually movablemeans in a'selected position, and means operatively associating saidoperable means with said releasable holding means to effect a timecorrection relative to said predetermined point in the operatingrelation between said element and said actuating means when a change ismade in the constant rate of speed of said drive.

4. In an echo-sounding recorder, a stylus operable for movement througha predetermined cycle, a drive for the stylus, signalling meansincluding an actuatable element, actuating means operated by said driveto actuate said element at a predetermined point in the cyclic movementof said stylus, means operable to change the drive to said stylus fromone constant speed to another constant speed, and means operativelyassociated with said operable means to eiect a time correction relativeto said predetermined point in the operating relation between saidelement and said actuating means when a change is made in the constantrate of speed of "said drive.

5. ln an echo-soundingbrecorder, a stylus, a drive shaft operable tomove the stylus through a predetermined cycle, signalling meansincluding an actuatable element disposed adjacent said shaft, meanscarried by said shaft to actuate said element at a predetermined pointin the cyclic movement of said stylus, means operable to change themovement of said shaft from one constant speed to another constantspeed, and means operatively associated with said operable means to movesaid element relative to said shaft to make a time correction withrespect to said A predetermined point in the actuation of saidele-` mentwhen a change is made in the constant rate of speed of said shaft.

6. ln an echo-sounding recorder, a stylus, a drive shaft operable tomove the stylus through a predetermined cycle, an actuatable element,means to manually adjust said element circumferentially about said driveshaft, means carried by said drive shaft to actuate said element, meansoperable to change the movement of said drive shaft fromone constantspeed to another constant speed, and means operatively associating saidoperable means with said manually adjustable means to effect adjustmentof said element circumferentially of said drive shaft when a change ismade in the constant speed of said drive shaft. 7. In an echo-soundingrecorder, a stylus, a drive shaft operable to move the stylus through apredetermined cycle, an actuatable element, a dial having means toindicate the depth range for which the recorder isoperating, a secondshaft to support said element and said dial, means carried by said driveshaft to`actuate said element, means operable to change the movement ofsaid drive shaft from one constant speed to `another constant speed, andmeans operatively associating said operable means with said second shaftto eilect an angular adjustment of said element about said drive shaftand a corresponding movement of said dial when a change is made in theconstant speed of said drive shaft.

8. In an echo-sounding recorder, a stylus, a

Vdrive shaft operable to move the stylus through justably supported onsaid pivoted means adapt-Y ed to engage said notches, and said pivotedmeans being operatively associated with said operable means to effect anangular adjustment of said element about said drive shaft and a corre-

